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A kaleidoscope could look different every time you look through it. One way at first, but then another deeper story under the surface. This is an idea explored in the Australian Catholic University’s upcoming play, Kaleidoscope The Musical.  The Waterjars’ very own Natalia will sing and dance in the play! The cast is made up of uni students and staffs of different backgrounds, ages and heritages. They have all come together to write and perform a story of social justice which is close to their hearts: refugees and suffragettes, teen pregnancy, LGBTQ relations. Kaleidoscope premiers on Friday 1 June 2018 at noon and 6 pm at Cathedral Hall, ACU, 20 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Complimentary tickets are available, please get in touch with Natalia!   Want to join? Click down bellow.

I had the opportunity to take part in an interfaith experience with the other women from the ‘Leadership for Mission’ program. Our experience took us up to Sydney where we listened to a panel of three faith filled women. Our lecturer Janine Luttick as a representative of Christian faith, Dr Mahsheed Ansari a lecturer in Islamic Studies, and Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio from Emanuel Synagogue. The panel focused on a story shared by all three faiths, the relationship of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. Though they spoke of the same story, they each brought in their own perspective and theologies.  The discussion opened the way for critical and reflexive thinking to help understand our different faiths. We were a room of women seeking God and coming together to share our experiences. In Dr Mahsheed I saw a similar passion that I see in the women of my faith. For her, faith was not simply a set of beliefs she held but it shaped her daily life. Her faith shone through her life choices like choosing to wear her headscarf as a sign of modesty. Rabbi Jacqui encouraged us on the presence of female rabbis and the impact of having women in leadership positions. In their congregation, highlighting the female intuition had led to celebrations for events which normally wouldn’t be celebrated. For example, they had introduced celebrations for divorce and miscarriages to acknowledge the pain experienced and to pray for a better path moving forward. A common theme which came up throughout the discussion was the experience that when women lead, some people may feel confronted. In each faith, women are passionate and want to be able to support their congregations, but it has often been difficult finding those opportunities. After the panel we went to the Gallipoli Mosque in Auburn where we were welcomed by an imam who explained its history and how relationship with God is understood in Islam. Dr Masheed took us to the Islamic Scientific Research Association (ISRA) where we were welcomed by ten other Muslim women. They offered us beautiful cheese and crackers and shared the ways prayer and faith links their community. They had decorated a space with fairy lights and we sat together to discuss the similarities in the struggles we encountered as women of faith. One woman raised the misconceptions others had about her beliefs and it made her wonder about the misconceptions she has about others. Another young woman spoke up and told us that she believed in Jesus. She had been self-studying the Trinity and explained the concept to the whole group, maybe even better than some of us could have! For her it was her effort to understand others that had helped her to understand her own faith better. Another woman shared how she had been hurt by a Christian who had insisted that he knew her faith better than she did and wanted to prove it to her. Her story touched me so deeply, so on the way out I spoke to her privately and apologised on behalf of that person. I realised that she could be one of many who have been hurt in this way. From the experience I gained a better understanding of the power of collaboration, building connections and developing empathy. What we found was that women are forces to be reckoned with in our Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities. While we may never be the same or believe the same things; in diversity there is strength and that is to be celebrated. We bring a perspective others may not always see and if we don’t face the challenges in front of us, we might miss out on contributing to a situation. Our input can bring a positive impact to the whole community. In our own way, in our own churches, we must answer the radical call to love as women of the faith.   Want to join? Click down bellow.

In the village of Pedawa, The Waterjars work with Access Life Bali through Entrust to help give clean water to those who have trouble accessing it otherwise. In the past majority of the community had to travel two hours by foot to get clean water and could only get little at a time. Nyoman, a local water engineer, worked closely with John Truhe from Access Life and came up with an effective water system. Nyoman used to be Hindu and was working towards being ordained as a Hindu priest however the night before his ordination he ran away and decided to become a Christian. This caused a rift in the community for a while however he is now still very well respected in his community. He bought some land and now plants cloves, cocoa and banana and encourages women and children to harvest them for free and sell for themselves. At the time of becoming a Christian Nyoman had two wives and as he felt it did not fit right with Christian faith he asked a Pastor what he should do and it was suggested that he stay with his first wife and leave his second wife. He did just that however after a lot of fighting she left him. After his first wife left him he was at a loss and he again asked the Pastor what he should do as he missed his second wife whom he was still in love with. He was encouraged to go and get her back. Meanwhile his second wife remained faithful to him even after he choose to stay with his first wife. She was encouraged to marry someone else but she chose to go back to Nyoman because she truly loves him. Nyoman’s system involves a main water tank that will then feed water to 8 smaller tanks that are spread throughout the village resulting in 70 homes getting the clean water. The system doesn’t rely on electricity but on water pressure which makes it much more reliable in a place where electricity is scarce. A project like this doesn’t come without conflicts however. Majority of the community is Hindu and as the water project is funded by Christians therefore it created issues around who was involved and many whispers went about claiming that if you were to drink this water you would then become Christian. Jealousy was another issue that surrounded the project as other towns/communities close by were not getting this water access and this resulted in one of the smaller tanks being trashed. However, while not everyone in the community has wanted to be involved I learnt that generosity can be contagious and if you are kind to someone instead of shutting them out they are more likely to pass it on and this is true for Saras. Saras, a local shop owner, already had an electrical pump on his land, decided he did not want to be involved in the project however in the end the water did extend to his property anyway. He started using the water from the project instead of using his own pump as the water was cleaner and it was a more efficient and convenient system. After a while of using this water Saras saw the good this project could actually do and decided that he would in fact like to be involved in future water projects, telling the community project leader Mirsyu he wanted to help by letting the future projects access the water spring on his land. While there have been some issues the project has helped a significant amount of people in making it a little easier therefore more productive as well. One of the recipients of the water is Narke who when asked how having this water system has positively affected him, instead of saying his work is more productive, he said it made his family smell a lot better. It goes to show how we can take the little things like showering for granted. When doing a project like this people tend to look for the big changes however basic things like being clean bring great impact as they improve the quality of life. This project is based on community building meaning it allows the villagers to have influence over the work. The donors provide the raw materials however the community are the laborer behind the project. Some are responsible for digging the trenches and connecting pipes while others are responsible for preparing refreshments. As a result, the villagers feel empowered to bring positive changes to their lives. They also establish a sense of ownership over the project which encourages them to be in charge of the water system’s maintenance in the future.   Want to join? Click down bellow.

One of the organizations we work with and have visited earlier this year is Gerasa. Gerasa is an organization involved in the rehabilitation of drug abusers and victims of human trafficking as well as raising awareness around them. Their three main objectives are prevention, recovery and empowerment. They teach awareness around abuse and trafficking in order to improve understanding and help prevent people from falling into troubling situations. They also work with victims of drug abuse and human trafficking and help them recover through a support system while also empowering them to get back on track. Gerasa has also created a peer educator system meaning people who have already received help can in return help others and give an understanding no one else can, making it a safer and more comfortable environment for someone to speak in. Gerasa also owns a café attached to their office in which people who have previously come to Gerasa for help can work. As it opens at night it allows people to hang out casually and it creates a safe atmosphere in which to talk. Meeting here over coffee means it is a less intimidating environment making it easier to ease people into positive change.   Want to join? Click down bellow.  

Antonius Gunawan was challenged to find a place for a grandmother rejected by the mental hospital. She was turned away by aged care centres, mental hospitals and her own family. He brought her in to Wisma Rela Bhakti, a home for poor and vulnerable women. She was loud, aggressive and unable to walk. Her unhygienic habits made the other residents uncomfortable. They told Antonius that they wanted her to leave. He knew that he had a mission to serve the poor so he trusted God and spoke to the other women. “I’ve heard your complaints. Please give me one to two days to think of what to do.” He knew he couldn’t abandon this grandmother but something had to change. He sat down with her and explained the situation.   He was honest about the complaints and how her behaviour was making the other women uncomfortable. After their talk, she changed. She became more gentle and considerate. The difference made the staff and residents accept her as one of their own. She returned to her family after seven to eight months, proving that love works wonders This is one of the stories of life at Wisma Rela Bhakti, in Semarang, Indonesia. Antonius was moved by seeing elderly people living on the streets. They were rejected by aged care facilities because they couldn’t meet the admittance criteria. In 1987 he did something about it and rented a house. It started with eight residents including a blind person restrained for their own safety, a man living on a rubbish dump and a rubbish collector who had suffered a stroke. Today it has grown to two houses with 22 women in Gedangan and 18 in Ghenuk. The original idea for the home was a rehabilitation centre, preparing people to live in formal aged care. The caregivers did not expected the residents to come running back to Wisma Rela Bhakti, even after they were healthy enough for the professional aged care. They returned by choice to Rela Bhakti which felt more like a home to them, where they were always treated with love and dignity. It was more than Antonius imagined when he first founded this house. He wanted to start a simple house for the poor but God’s plan was bigger. The experience has taught him a lesson he carries with him always: “If you’re courageous in wanting to help others, God will help you.” After establishing the initial house they struggled with funding, forcing them to look for a new house with no money. They found a miracle named Mak Poling, a generous woman who gave Rela Bhakti her money when she died. She left enough money for a house and now they could take in even more women. The funding problem wasn’t completely fixed. Caregivers at the Ghenuk house were being paid only two-thirds of the average salary of a housemaid. However, they happily agreed to continue their work and serve God through his people. They found another blessing in Rumah Sakit Elizabeth, a hospital run by religious sisters, who provide healthcare for Rela Bhakti residents for free. The next dilemma came in the form of a woman sick with Hepatitis B. Management did not want Antonius to take her in but leaving her on the streets would be a death sentence. Her disease is contagious and easily spread. Taking care of an infected person must be done with the right procedure. Some of the nurses came to Antonius and said they would quit if he let the woman in. They had families at home who could become infected through their contact with her at work. Their reluctance did not stop him and he admitted the woman. In one night, four nurses who had worked there for three years left because the risk was too much. Friends of Antonius heard the news and volunteered, taking care of the residents and the woman with Hepatitis. Today Rela Bhakti also supports children of widows by giving their families staple food on the condition that they must want to go to school. While Antonius is the face of the facility, he believes anyone can manage it as long as their motivation is to be God’s instrument.   Contributor: Antonius Gunawan, founder of Wisma Rela Bhakti